Very well put.
Attention, Republicans, who represent a majority locally: Mitch McConnell, U.S. Senate minority leader, said recently that "we Republicans must get back to our base values."
I'm still waiting to hear what those are. Would that include smaller government, an idea that escaped the attention of presidents Reagan and the two Bushes? A commitment to balance the budget, which was not of interest with either Reagan or George W. Bush? Keeping the government out of the private lives of the people, which is a foreign idea to the religious extremists, the base of the party?
Or would it be to forget those less fortunate, or just downright unlucky, to be laid off when there are no jobs to be found? Or to assume the market can get along just fine without government oversight, and that we will recover if we just leave it to business to do its magic and to rely primarily on debunked trickle down from tax cuts? Anyone care to say what the Republican Party is or should be all about in the 21st century?
This crisis, without doubt the worst since the Great Depression in the 1930s, already has put millions out of work this past year, and getting worse by the month. All have lost any health coverage they had and many will become homeless without help. Even if we do our best to recover, it is likely to take years to get unemployment back under 5 percent. We need not only a stimulus to get people back to work, but we need to look to rebuild our shredded safety net, to help those who, through no fault of their own, are now living on temporary unemployment benefits and food stamps. If the GOP is so averse to the resulting deficit, how about them supporting increases in the taxes on the wealthy?
I say, shame on our Republican Congress for denying the need for help for those losing everything, seeming to think stimulus alone is enough.
Victor Reilly, Aiken, S.C.
Comments
Very well put.
What a ridiculous letter!
Gee Vic, why don't you tell all of us about the small government and balanced budget that Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and the big O have practiced. Seems to me that they are the very representation of what your letter mocks. And why is it that any time there is a tax cut, you liberals always scream that it's for the rich? I got a tax cut, and I'm not rich. Democrat values? Yeah...paying for votes, giving checks to lazy [filtered word] people who don't contribute to our society, and "forgiving" debt on those who lived beyond their means. And another thing, Vic, please tell me one single government program that has actually worked efficiently and helped a problem. You can't because it doesn't exist!! I won't say you are an idiot. I'll leave that for God to judge. What a surprise, GACop agrees with you. Enough said.
Justus likes the letter too. I rest my case.
Mr Riley. Well written. Dead wrong, but well written. You included just enough truth to make your letter sound feasible to the misinformed. When I heard McConnell's comment, I heard "conservative values" even though that wasn't what he said. You're right, there are no Repub values any more than there are Dem values. However, your letter falls apart at this point. Reagan and W both, were stopped dead in their tracks when they tried to reduce the size of government. NO lefty has even tried. Keeping government out of private lives, like abortion for preteens without parental notification, isn't something either party does. Building a government on the concept of "winners or losers in life's lottery" is too silly to respond to. Once again, you're confusing 'regulation' with 'oversight'. Learn the difference. Our current financial situation is bad, but not as bad as it will be if government doesn't stop helping.
Also, if you look at the money given away by the stimulus package, you'll see 99% is using the trickle down method of redistribution. It seems all parties use this method. Only one admits it. The unemployment rate only reached the sub-5% level under the Bush administration and only after reducing confiscatory taxes on investors. That's the only way it'll happen again. O will not use that method. Your letter calls for punishing the productive even more. That'll sure help employment. The silly attempt at social engineering and the uncontrolled financing plus the greed precipitated by the riskless government guarantee of unsecured loans has led to this financial crisis. More government interference isn't the cure. You'll understand this after just a little more "help" from the government.
Both political parties epitomize inefficiency, corruption, and self perpetuation. It looks like govt workers will taken care for life, but what about the rest of us. The problem is the Rep starting acting like Dems, well actually they have all been crooks just offer different rhetoric to come to power. Neither party offer much hope. Patti is right the whole strategy is trickle down otherwise "we" would be getting the tax breaks (like Obama suggested) and money. You know I wish that Obama had crafted this bill (given his arguments and suggestions) because all of Congress are just political whores. I am really growing to respect the man but I wonder if he is just the front man saying one thing while he knows his brothers in Congress are doing another. I wonder why people aren't wanting to bring Greenspan on charges over our failed economy because his continuing to lower interest rates from the dot com bubble and recession started in 01' iniated this chain reaction-too much power for one man. I hate I ever supported either party in the past-vote independent.
The GOP's (Newt Gingrich)"Contract to America" which balanced the budget during the Clinton years was the last hurrah from the Conservatives in Washington. The GOP had forgotten how to control its spending and we Republicans are even now p----d.
Sorry..Southern..I should have used past tense.
The truth hurts.There are no republican values. If you close your eyes you'd almost here communist principles when you look at what they've done.They've created the party elite. [The bushes]anyone who doesn't adhere to the party dogma [Colin Powell] is sent to the gulags.If you dont publicly side with them your unpatriotic.[SEE IRAQ WAR]They want to tell you if you have to bear unwanted children yet cheer lustily at every bomb dropped on a country that didn't have weapons of mass destruction!!They've resided over the conversion of a budget surplus to twelve trillion in debt. [See Old Soviet Union].They can't lay claim to anything that Eisenhower would've espoused.They demonize their opponents[See Obama is a Socialist] and for good measure when their supporters call for physical violence against their opponents sit idly by and bask in the adoration.I fully expect to see a swastika every time one of them speaks.Their values maybe something.AMERICAN ISN'T ONE OF THEM!!HURRY UP 2010!!!
Well written letter--and true. It will drive so-called conservatives nuts.
If "values" were the standard then none in Congress would be able to hold office independent of party.
A letter that calls for smaller gov't, balanced budget, and a $1tn stimulus package. Huh?
Don't forget the line by line srutiny and "transparency". Which I guess they think transparency means invisible to the naked eye. LOL. Man I should sell my stuff to Leno or Letterman.
Only three republicans had the nerve to put their re-election aside and voted to help the un employed in this country. The rest sided with those who are employed and have no regards for their fellow man. What does this say bout republicans? Maybe Michael Steele can flip this attitude. HELLO! HELLO! HELLO! Republicans took the safe road. Where is courage? HELLO! HELLO!
Maybe the other Republicans had more regard for the children who will have to pay for this vote buying scheme.
WE NEED A HERO, WE NEED A HERO!!! Someone who will fight for truth, justice and the American Way. Whatever that was? Hard work, thrift, respect for self and others. At the least a consciousness of a moral responsibility to our Creator.
Biz: 9.18am Still gonna run my Green party campaign?
Excuse me, but that is one of the duties of congress. That's why the money is sent to Washington. Everything comes with a cost. get a clue! Nothing is free. HELLO! HELLO! HELLO!
Doc, I'm with you. After my failed Prez campaign of 08" I have experience of what not to do.
How is it a vote buying scheme if so many people oppose it as you state? HELLO! HELLO! HELLO!
OBAMA campianged on CHANGE. We got CHANGE. A non-white President. The march to Socialism that began in earnest under FDR has not waivered regardless of "political party" or President. Marx said Socialism was as inevitalbe in political science as Darwin had stated for bioloical science. The march for socialism goes on until the masses cry for salvation.
Socialism: Fear tactic. Also used against Roosevelt, to no avail. HELLO! HELLO! Here we go again. HELLO! HELLO!
jack234, have you read it? How can you accuse anyone of using fear tactics. Are you kidding? Threats of a "great depression" by Obama. Please. This is no way near the gravity of the depression. Obama used fear tactics to win and now he is using it to bankrupt our poor kids. And you could care less. As long as you get yours, you don't care at all about the future. So many people are against because they have more integrity than you and recognize it for what it is. A vote buying scheme.
JTF: Jack6969 is similar to most Americans: being a hypocrite isn't a concern to them.
Patty and the rest of you wingnuts: Republicans have lost their values
when the silent majority ruse got over on the American political scene.
Reagan could have reduced the executive branch if he wanted to, he had
the power to do so. Both Bushes could have also but enlarged the
executive branch and broaden it's powers over the other two
branches.They helped run up the national debt by helping the rich and
business at all costs and deregulated the rules and regulations while
complaining about too much paperwork and bureaucracy to pilfer the
government cofers and allowing predator lending institutions and wall
street the tools to rape our resources and country. You folks will
never admit to YOUR mistakes but will gladly and unashamedly place the
blame on others.
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